McDonald’s free coffee: Get a small free McCafe – do you have to buy anything?

The news is full of reports breaking on Friday, March 28, 2014, about McDonald’s firing back against Taco Bell’s new breakfast offering by giving away small free McCafe coffees during breakfast hours at their participating stores. Of course, that begs the questions: Which McDonald’s stores are really participating in this free McCafe small coffee giveaway offer? What exactly are their breakfast hours? And do you have to buy any breakfast to get the free coffee from McDonald’s?

Well, perhaps we’ll know more when the offer actually begins, which will be during breakfast hours from Monday, March 31, 2014 through Sunday, April 13, 2014. Perhaps McDonald’s is hoping that while you’re there, you’ll buy breakfast anyway.

What are McDonald’s breakfast hours?

The hours are different based on the location, but basically McDonald's starts serving breakfast by 7:00 a.m. – and I love that they continue to serve breakfast at the McDonald’s locations near me past the standard 10:30 a.m. on weekdays all the way to 11 a.m. on the weekends.

Do you have to buy something to get a free McDonald’s McCafe coffee?

Thus far, I don’t see any “free with purchase” type of text written about the McDonald’s free coffee offer, but I guess we’ll really find out on Monday, when we all swing through those drive-thru lanes at McDonald’s to get our free coffees. Plus, we’ll determine which McDonald’s McCafé gourmet coffee choice -- either cappuccinos, lattés, and iced and hot mochas – are really free.